


From the South Palace

by snowynight



Category: Chinese Mythology
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8408848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowynight/pseuds/snowynight
Summary: Ch'ing-nü and Cháng'é talked before Ch'ing-nü carried out her yearly task.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quillori](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillori/gifts).



Ch'ing-nü stood by a fragrant olive tree, which shivered due to the icy wind and frost in her breath. She looked at the moral realm underneath, where every moment a drama of life, greed, lust and death played out. Why did the mortals strive for eternity when they would return to dust one day? She had seen empires’ rising and collapse, mountains leveled to become sea, but these Nüwa’s creation remained the same, longing to defy the rule of life and death.

"Is it your time to go?" a soft voice asked, and Ch'ing-nü's face softened when she turned to Cháng'é, who still wore the fragrant olive flower she put on her hair earlier.

"Yes, the west wind has come."

Cháng'é came to her side, their shoulders brushing, the elixirs Cháng'é experimented with evident in her clean smell. "How many cycles of life have we witnessed from here? It seemed to be only yesterday when Nüwa tasked us with regulating these mortals she created."

"For us, it could have happened a moment before, or an aeon had passed ever since. For the mortals there is a similar flower every year, but the visitor is no longer the same. But to the flowers," Ch'ing-nü looked up at the tree who extended towards high heaven. "Every flower has its time, and the human faces may as well be a stream to them."

Cháng'é laughed, which reminded Ch'ing-nü of the sound made by a water chime. "I'm grateful that Nüwa bring you to me. Otherwise I will be so lonely here. The mortals swear to the moon for their love, but at the end all feeling fades, and only we remain here."

Ch'ing-nü held Cháng'é's hand and looked into her eyes. "I will pick a dixie rosemallow flower for you." The pink petals of the early flower matched well with Cháng'é's eyes.

"See you then, Charmer," Cháng'é smiled, and Ch'ing-nü descended to the mortal realm, bringing her yearly message of fertility and closure.


End file.
